515 Sand Ridge Road

Bowling Green, OH 43402

419.352-4203 ph

419.353-1914 fax

www.montessorischoolbg.org

msbg@montessorischoolbg.org

The Montessori School of Bowling

Green is a nurturing community that

educates the whole child in a

Montessori environment, where

children develop mutual respect,

personal responsibility, and a passion

for learning.

AUTUMN 2011 The Montessori Circle CONNECTING ALL MEMBERS, PAST AND PRESENT, OF OUR EXCEPTIONAL MONTESSORI FAMILY

This Issue BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Superwoman was already here In a world where the amount of information is doubling every 2.5 years (with much of it available at the click of a mouse) and where the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not even exist in 2004, encouraging kids to ask good questions and giving them life-long tools to investigate those questions is far more important than instructing them on how to produce correct responses. Even if those answers require some level of complexity, they are generally still straight-forward and predictable, which hardly prepares them for a world whose path is increasingly winding and unknown. The culture of inquiry that is the hallmark of a good Montessori school is also a critical foundation for the creativity and innovation that America will need to compete in the 21st century. In December 2009, the Harvard Business Review published an article called, “The Innovator’s DNA” based on a six-year study of 3,000 creative executives including

visionaries like Apple’s Steve Jobs, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, EBay’s Pierre Omidyar and Meg Whitman, and P&G’s A.G. Lafley. In an accompanying interview (with two of the three authors of the study) entitled “How Do Innovators Think?”, one of the professors that conducted the study noted: “We also believe that the most innovative entrepreneurs were very lucky to have been raised in an atmosphere where inquisitiveness was encouraged. We were struck by the stories they told about being sustained by people who cared about experimentation and exploration. Sometimes these people were relatives, but sometimes they were neighbors, teachers or other influential adults. A number of the innovative entrepreneurs also went to Montessori schools, where they learned to follow their curiosity. To paraphrase the famous Apple ad campaign, innovators not only learned early on to think different, they act different (and even talk different).”

Daniel Petter-Lipstein

innovativeeducator.com

Celebrating a Love of Learning for 31 years

Kathy Korducki, MS Board President

Eric Myerholtz, CPA Vice President

Kristin Otley, MS, CPRP Treasurer

Scott Coon, J.D. Secretary

Marc Suelzer, BA, MIS Parent Rep to the Board

Pam Bettinger, BA, CPT Member

Sandra Earle, Pharm.D. Member

Michelle Evans, MLO Member

Susan Kleine, Ph.D. Member

Lara Martin Lengel, Ph.D. Member

Jeff Miner, Ph.D. Member

Cathy Skiver, BS, RYT Member

Alumni Spotlight Emily Carle

For me, Montessori shaped my childhood and how I related to others growing up. It instilled positive values in me that still affect me today. Even though I'm now graduating from college and haven't been in a Montessori school since 6th grade, I can still utilize the critical thinking, problem solving and creativity skills I learned at a young age. I feel like I am much more capable when it comes to learning new skills and material because of what I learned at MSBG. I can only hope that all students have the opportunity to develop these vital skills in such a positive learning environment.

Emily graduated from Kent State University in June 2011 and she is currently a graduate student. She was a member of Kent State's 2010 Homecoming Court and she is a worldwide traveler.

Superwoman P.1

Academics P.2

Community P.3

Q & A: Magic Year P.3

Alumni Spotlight P.4

DO NOT FORWARD

I Montessori

The Montessori Difference

Our thousands of MSBG alumni continue to be

successful in our global economy

as exceptional critical thinkers and caring individuals.

“WE THANK MSBG EVERYDAY AS WE SEE OUR CHILDREN CONTINUE TO PROSPER.”-

TONY AND ROBYNE KRAMP

Did You Know?

MSBG Cross Country Regional Invitational

The 2nd Annual Montessori School of Bowling Green’s Cross Country Invitational

was a great success!

More than 250 runners took advantage of a beautiful autumn day on the Montessori Mustangs’ home course.

There were 13 area schools that attended our race and two home-schooled children that ran as well. Over 1,000 spectators and runners were at the event.

Megan Prybylski, MSBG teacher and cross country coach, started

the MSBG cross country team six years ago. She coordinated the

MSBG Invitational because she is a strong advocate for children’s

fitness She stated, “Seeing all those children running at a young age

is one of the best things for establishing a lifetime of healthy

activity.”

Remembering September 11

A Day of Service The students and community at the Montessori School of Bowling Green sent pictures and letters to soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan. Miss Jennifer's brother and his troop are currently stationed there and were very happy to receive them.

Community Events

Community Involvement

THIS ISSUE’S Q&A: THE MAGIC YEAR

Presentations at the Rotary, Kiwanis, and Global Connections organizations on the topic “Montessori 101.” WBGU Kids’ Extravaganza MSBG selected to be filmed for WBGU television commercials Lunch in the Park BG Community Earth Day Wood County Fair Chamber Day ...just to name a few!

The SMART Board in Upper Elementary allows for some amazing high-tech lessons.

In a WebMD Health News A r t i c l e e n t i t l e d M o n t e s s o r i K i d s : Academic Advantage, author Salynn Boyles states, “New research suggests that children who attend Montessori schools may have an edge over other children in terms of both academic and social development.”

Academics

Mathematics curriculum presented with concrete materials that simultaneously reveal arithmetic, geometric, and algebraic correlations. Integration of the arts, sciences, geography, history, and language that evokes the natural imagination and abstraction of the elementary child. Presentation of formal scientific language of zoology, botany, anthropology, geography, geology, etc., that exposes the child to accurate, organized information and respects the child's intelligence and interests.

Techniques

An individualized approach is tailored for each student depending on his/her learning style, personal interests, and schema.

Emphasis on open-ended research and in-depth study using primary and secondary sources (little to no textbooks or worksheets) as well as other materials, including individualized record keeping forms.

Use of timelines, pictures, charts, and other visual aids that provide a linguistic and visual overview of the first principles of each discipline.

Montessori studies are integrated not only in terms of subject matter, but in terms of moral learning resulting in empathy, justice, and appreciation for each other and other forms of life. http://www.montessorianswers.com

"What we need is a world full of miracles, like the miracle of seeing the young child seeking work and independence, and manifesting a wealth of enthusiasm and love."

-Maria Montessori

How are Montessori academics innovative? In today's society, we often have a polarized view of things. The middle ground rarely seems to exist in our psyches, and education is no exception. People often desire a rigorous curriculum, strong academic standards, and high test scores, or they espouse to create an integrated, arts based, multi-sensory/multi-modality (teaching topics through music, art, hands on materials...) open educational environment. The two camps rarely mix. Why? It is the Montessorian belief that we can have the best of both worlds. Keeping this in mind, Montessori education is taught by teachers who believe in, and are able to integrate the teaching of all subjects, not as isolated disciplines, but as parts of a whole.

True Montessori programs offer the following:

MSBG was the first accredited American Montessori Society school in Ohio.

MSBG was recognized in 2010 at state and national levels for our anti-bullying initiatives.

MSBG is an active member of Business Networking International, Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce, and the American Montessori Society.

Black Swamp Arts Festival

Exciting News! The Montessori School of Bowling Green was chosen as the recipient of this year's Dorothy Uber Bryan Painting Award at the Black Swamp Arts Festival! MSBG is so excited to display Andy Van Schyndle's painting. The painting is now displayed in the foyer.

Q: What is the importance of the third year? (i.e. Kindergarten, Third grade, Sixth grade)

A: The three-year developmental cycle is at the very heart of the Montessori educational experience for our children at Accredited Montessori Schools. It is what assures our children success and it is one of the features that distinguishes our educational program from others. The three-year cycle drives the educational continuum (our academic scope and sequence), determines materials purchased and placed in the classrooms, and defines student record keeping, progress, and assessment. It is a clearly-defined and discrete educational unit with a beginning, a middle, and an end for each child. The third year in each sequence is the capstone year that is a culminating experience academically, emotionally, socially, and developmentally. If not followed, a child’s work in that three-year sequence is simply incomplete. Something exceptional happens in that third year...MSBG staff have coined it the “Magic Year.” Our 31 years of cumulative teaching experience has taught us many things, including the idea that everything comes together for the child in the third year of the classroom….Kindergarteners, Third Year students, and Sixth Year students have unique learning “wow” moments where all the information magically synthesizes at their developmental level. We urge you to speak to your child’s teachers and to Miss Jess when considering the third year of the Montessori developmental cycle.